Background

Elemental determination of whole coal by the pressed powder method is demonstrated. Coal beneficiation (coal cleaning) is critical since it determines the quality of final product. Rapid and accurate elemental determination is therefore important in order to assure that harmful components to the environment such as ash and sulfur are sufficiently low. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry with pressed powder method is a simple analysis technique that can rapidly determine elemental composition of coal with high accuracy and precision. It is therefore well suited for industrial process and quality control. This non-destructive analytical technique has the added benefit of easily being able to determine the concentration of elements that can be lost during ashing process. This note demonstrates rapid and accurate determination for multiple elements in whole coal by pressed powder method.